While one of the most famous Christmas stories of all time, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol sometimes comes under criticism for weakly addressing the problem of poverty. The complaint goes like this: Ebenezer Scrooge is but one person who learns an individual lesson, and that lesson is for private individuals to be a bit more charitable. One day a year. Thus, the Dickens classic tosses a breadcrumb to the poor, but doesn’t do a thing to address serious social ills. A sentimental tale, but a moral flop. Continue reading
Category Archives: Service and Missions
I Was Wrong About Starbucks
I’m not a real big Starbucks fan. Their coffee is okay. I don’t have real strong opinions about them. But about fourteen years ago, for about a day, I decided to form a strong opinion about Starbucks. Continue reading
Ten Things The Bible Tells Us About Public Health
When in doubt, turn to scripture. Christians have done so for ages when faced with difficult choices about personal and public health. Here are 10 messages given to us from scripture about public health.
Book Review: The Parade by Dave Eggers
If I told you to read a story about two guys paving a road together, you’d probably decline. But if I told you it was a modern day parable, an easy quick read, and written by the guy who wrote two books that turned into movies starring Tom Hanks, ok, maybe you’d pick it up. Continue reading
Between the Sick and the Healthy
There are now over 530,000 known cases of Covid-19 in the U.S.
Speaking of numbers, there’s a not-very-well known account from the Book of Numbers having to do with a plague. In chapter 16, Moses is leading the Hebrews through the wilderness. This chap named Korah decides that he should be leading the people, so he rebels. Him and 249 other people. As a consequence, they are consumed in a fire. Continue reading
How Can We Take In More People? A Lesson from Virginia Tech’s Enrollment Issue
Have we run out of room for people?
If you live in Southwest Virginia, you’ve heard by now about the little enrollment problem Virginia Tech has got itself into. This fall the university is about to take in an extra 1,000 or so students it didn’t plan on taking in. Continue reading
Abortion and the Wrong Side of History
Not long ago I came across an article by Frederica Mathewes-Green in The National Review, titled “When Abortion Suddenly Stopped Making Sense”.
Not only was it one of the most emotionally moving stories told by a pro-life woman that I’ve ever heard, it also had something profound to say beyond merely reinforcing the “pro-life cause.” Sadly, in America it is a cause that often finds itself bound up in hypocrisy, misogyny, and self-righteous promotion of a secluded family life that exiles the forgotten, in the name of—maybe—saving children. Continue reading
Check Out My Guest Posts on Same Journey’s Website
Readers, there is a new website up called Same Journey: The Random Acts of Kindness Movement.
The purpose of the website is to spread random acts of kindness through sharing stories and sending kindness cards. Continue reading
An Immigration Hymn
Seek the Shalom of Nations
Seek the shalom of America. Pray to the LORD for America, for if America has peace and prosperity, you too will have peace and prosperity. Continue reading
CALEB COY 